And I Will Try To Fix You
by HideYourFeathers
Summary: The happy life that Namine once knew is shattered. Even with the amazing support of a loving aunt and best friend, Namine is broken. But maybe there is someone out there. Someone who understands all too well.
1. Sanctuary

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, nor do I own any of the amazing characters that make up the games.

So this will be my second story on here! It's a little darker than And That's When Fate Stepped In, but hopefully people will still read this one :P

**BTW**: The story's title is inspired by the song "Fix You" by Coldplay.

* * *

Namine let out a small sigh as the final bell rang, signaling the end of the last day of school. She kept her head down as she made her way through the halls, though she could still feel the stares of the people she passed.

Namine had never been comfortable being the center of attention. When at all possible, she always did her best to stay on the outskirts, prefering to let her friends have the spotlight. And that's exactly what she had done, ever since she was little.

Until last month.

May 15, at 1:37 in the morning, to be exact. When she awoke to the sound of sirens and the smell of smoke. When she opened her eyes to see bright orange and red flames and thick, black smoke coming from down the hall. When she frantically screamed for her mother and father as she was being pulled from her burning house by a firefighter.

When her parents never made it out.

Ever since that horrific night, Namine has been in the glaring spotlight. Constantly feeling the pitiful stares of those around her. Listening to everyone's attempt to comfort her. And most of all, suddenly being labeled in everyone's minds.

_"The girl whose parents died in a fire."_

Namine finally made her way out of the school. She kept walking, leaving behind the stares, the whispers. Finally, she made it to her destination; the local park.

She quickly scanned the area until her eyes fell on her usual spot. A willow tree stood in the far corner of the park, away from the popular hang-out spot by the wishing fountain and away from the blitzball field. Namine made her way over to it, taking out her phone and checking her voicemail. She had one missed call from her Aunt Mami.

"_Hey, honey, it's me. I'm going to be over at Mrs. Yamazaki's house, she needs help getting ready for her dinner party. I won't be home until 9:00 at the earliest, so if you get hungry there are some leftovers in the fridge you can heat up. I'll see you when I get back, ok? I love you, Nami!" *click*_

Namine sighed, stowing her phone back into her bag. When she finally reached the willow tree, she parted the branches and took her usual spot leaning against the tree. As she took out her sketchbook and a charcoal pencil, she finally let out a breath that she seemed to have been holding in all day.

Poising the pencil above the paper, she closed her eyes for a moment. Then, as she started to draw, she felt herself slipping into a familiar trance. She wasn't just holding the pencil; she WAS the pencil. She continued that way for hours on end, thinking of nothing but the pencil in her hand, the sketchbook in her lap, and the creations that she was putting down on paper. The sun started making its way down to the horizon, and still she continued to draw.

It was peace. Blissful, unequivocal peace.

Suddenly, the sound of quick and heavy footsteps, rustling, gasping for breath, and her peace was shattered.

Namine's head snapped up from her drawing.

There, standing in her small sanctuary hidden by the leaves of the tree, was a boy. He had spiky blonde hair and was wearing a pair of jeans and a white T-shirt. His face was hidden, as he was currently standing hunched over, hands on his knees, panting heavily.

Namine hesitated. She wasn't entirely sure that the boy was aware of her presence. She finally let out a soft cough.

The boy lifted his head up, surprised by the sound. As soon as he did so, Namine was immediately stricken dumb.

His eyes. They were an astonishing shade of blue, unlike anything she had every seen before. She was vaguely away that she wasn't breathing.

The boy, still gasping for breath, let out a hoarse cough, releasing Namine from her trance-like state. Embarrassed, Namine quickly tore her eyes away and looked down, blushing. The boy then spoke, in a softer voice than she would have suspected.

"Sorry, I didn't think anyone would be here," he said, still breathing somewhat shallow. "Do you mind if I sit here for a bit?" the boy asked, looking at her questioningly.

Namine shook her head, scooting over a bit to let the boy have the tree trunk to lean on. The boy mumbled a 'thanks' and plopped down on the ground heavily, leaning against the tree trunk with a sigh.

Namine looked at the boy for a few moments, shook her head as if she were dreaming, then went back to her drawing. They sat there in silence for a few minutes, the sounds of Namine's pencil on paper mixing with the boy's breathing, which was becoming less labored. Namine had all but forgotten the boy's presence as she drew. That is, until—

"Wow."

Namine looked up to see the boy's gaze on her open sketchbook page. The look on his face made her self conscious.

"What?" she asked, slightly flustered.

"The Twilight Town clock tower, right?" the boy asked, glancing at her, a hint of awe in his voice.

Namine blushed. "Yes,"she said softly, glancing down at her drawing, which indeed depicted a sunset view of the clock tower in her home town. She wasn't entirely sure why she was drawing it. It had just popped into her head earlier, and without even thinking she had started on it.

"May I…?" the boy asked tentatively, gesturing towards the drawing in the sketchbook.

Namine's cheeks reddened even further. She couldn't even remember the last time someone had asked to see her sketchbook. Maybe that was because she didn't draw in public anymore. She usually couldn't concentrate with all of the staring…

For some reason, though, Namine nodded, handing over her sketchbook to the mysterious boy. The boy flipped through each page in silence, studying each drawing carefully, really examining the details. Namine hugged her knees, wondering why she was even letting this random boy look through her drawings.

When the boy was finished, he carefully shut the sketchbook and handed it back to her.

"Those are fantastic," he said sincerely. Namine began to think that her cheeks would be forever red.

"Thank you…" Namine said shyly, looking down at her lap.

"Don't mention it," the boy said, getting to his feet. "Hey, thanks for letting me stick around here for a bit," he added, brushing off his pants, looking down at Namine. She looked up to find a small lopsided smile on his face.

"Sure thing," Namine said, giving him a small hint of a smile in return.

The boy looked at her for a moment, a strange look coming across his face. Then he said in his same soft voice, "Well then…guess I'll see you around." And with that, he turned to go. Before leaving, however, he cast one more short glance back at Namine, then parted the branches and left the quiet of the sanctuary.

Namine stared at the spot where he had disappeared.

_That was odd…_

_--R--_

The boy ran away from the tree, images of the mysterious girl ingrained in his mind.

There was something all too familiar about the way her shoulders had slumped, how her eyes seemed unusually pained, saddened. How she barely smiled, even when he had complimented her on her incredible drawings.

He knew that look. He knew it all too well.

Because he had worn that same look all those months ago. Because he still wore that same look every night since the car accident. Ever since his mom had died.

He slowed to a walk as he turned onto his street. He didn't want to go home. It's where he had been running from in the first place. His dad would surely be in a rage, as usual. But if he could just sneak in and grab his guitar, maybe a change of clothes, without his dad seeing him…

He sighed. He knew it was no use.

He would walk in the house and face his dad. He would get called a 'worthless piece of shit' and probably have something thrown at him. Then he would be sent up to his room, where he would have to stay until his dad finally fell asleep. That's when he would sneak downstairs with his guitar and clothes, raid the fridge, and head somewhere random for the night, quietly playing his guitar until he fell asleep.

That's what he did back in Twilight Town since his mom was killed. And that's what he planned to do in this new town, this 'Radiant Garden'.

He finally reached his house. For some reason, he thought of the mysterious girl. He had an odd feeling that he would see her again sometime soon.

For the first time in a long while, he had something to look forward to.

And with that thought burning in his mind, he took a deep breath and walked into his house and into the impending storm.

* * *

**So, what do you think?**

I'm always open to suggestions/constructive criticism, it's always refreshing to hear what people think about what I'm writing so far! :)


	2. What Friends are For

Disclaimer: Don't own KH, or it's characters, blah blah blah.

I had pretty much already had this chapter finished when I posted the first chapter, hence why I'm posting so quick :)

Special thanks to **rainbowswirl**, the first reviewer for this story! wooo! :D

* * *

Namine left for home not long after the mysterious boy disappeared. By the time she made it home, her aunt Mami was already home, heating up food in the kitchen. When Namine entered, Mami looked up and gave her a smile.

"Hi, honey. At the park again, I'm guessing?" she said, making her way over to Namine and pulling her into a hug. Namine closed her eyes and hugged her back, nodding into her aunt's chest. Mami nodding knowingly, giving her one more pat before letting go and setting up a plate for each of them.

Namine took a seat at the kitchen table, taking out her sketchbook and sifting through it. Mami turned to serve her, then looked at Namine in surprise. It was the first time she had seen Namine with her sketchbook out in the open. Sure, she had seen it sitting on the desk in Namine's room, and had even seen Namine working on it in her room when Namine didn't know she was looking. But Namine never took her sketchbook out in front of people.

Mami thought about commenting on it, but, being the kind-hearted person that she was, she decided she wouldn't mention it, instead getting back to serving Namine the food.

After she was finished eating, Namine washed her dish and thanked Mami before heading up to her room. Her room was entirely too clean, and entirely too bare. It lacked any decorating, holding only a desk and chair, a dresser, and a bed. Namine sat down at her desk, flipping through her sketchbook, but not paying much attention to what she was looking at.

No, her thoughts were on a certain boy.

The boy's eyes were still branded into her mind. They had seemed to stare into her very soul, as if he knew _exactly_ what she was feeling…

_Wow, Namine. Way to be cliché._

It bothered her that she hadn't even gotten a name. He had just left without even bothering to introduce himself! How frustrating. And yet…she couldn't shake the feeling that she'd find out soon enough.

Just then, her phone vibrated. She knew who it was. The only person who bothered to text her anymore.

**To: Namine  
****From: Kairi**

_Hey, Nam. Wanna come over tonight? I rented Lilo and Stitch, I know how you love how everyone is so round in that movie. Also, my mom's baking cookies, and she said she could use some help decorating_ :)

Namine smiled slightly. This would be a nice distraction to get her mind off the boy. It was scary sometimes how Kairi always seemed to have perfect timing, knowing exactly what Namine needed and when she needed it.

Kairi had been Namine's best friend since second grade. Because of that, Kairi knew her better than any one else. When Namine's parents died, Kairi was there at the funeral, never leaving Namine's side. For the past month, Kairi had been an absolutely amazing friend, doing everything she could to help Namine through everything. Kairi was pretty much the reason that Namine was anywhere close to being sane.

**To: Kairi  
****From: Namine**

_Ok. Let me ask my aunt. I'm sure she won't mind, though._

Sure enough, Mami said yes, so approximately 15 minutes later, Namine was being let in to Kairi's house by Kairi's mother, who smiled at her and told her that Kairi was upstairs.

Namine made her way up to Kairi's room, finding Kairi popping Lilo and Stitch into her DVD player in her 27" TV. When Kairi looked up and saw Namine, she squealed and ran over to her, nearly tackling her to the floor with her hug.

"Kairi—can't—breath," gasped Namine, causing Kairi to let go of her, giggling slightly.

"Hehe, sorry," Kairi chuckled, then, grabbing Namine's arm and pulling her, said excitedly, "Come on, cookies first, then movie!"

Namine had to admit, she had fun decorating the cookies. By the time all of the cookies were frosted and sprinkled, Namine was laughing. It was impossible not to, considering that the difference between the cookies Kairi decorated and the ones Namine decorated was absolutely comical.

After eating about 3 cookies each (all of which were ones Kairi decorated, as she had declared that all of Namine's were "too flippin' pretty to eat'), Kairi and Namine popped some popcorn and made their way back to Kairi's room, where they watched Lilo and Stitch. The entire time, Kiari gushed about how adorable Stitch was, while Namine would nod in agreement, munching on the occasional piece of popcorn.

When the movie was over, Kairi's phone vibrated once again, as it had the entire movie long. Namine assumed it was Sora, as Sora and Kairi have been going out for almost 6 months now. Kairi read the text, then looked over at Kairi, a pleading look on her face.

Namine sighed. She knew exactly what was coming.

"This is the part where you try to convince me to go with you to one event or another, isn't it?" Namine asked, shooting a knowing glance Kairi's way.

Kairi giggled and nodded. "There's some sort of showcase down at the Star Seeker's Café tomorrow. Sora's cousin is going to be doing a song, and Sora wanted to know if we wanted to come," Kairi said, then proceeded to work her best puppy dog eyes. Namine rolled her own.

"Kairi…you know I don't like going to public places…" Namine said quietly, almost shuddering at the thought of all of the inevitable stares and whispers.

"I know, Nam, I know," Kairi nodded, giving her a sad look, patting her arm, "but I promise, I'll stick with you the whole time if you want me to, and I'll even buy you a frappecino! I know how much of a sucker you are for vanilla bean frappuccinos!" Kairi sang.

Namine sighed in defeat. She knew there was no getting around Kairi on this one. Besides, free frappuccino.

Kairi sensed her decision and squealed, tackling her in a giant bear hug. "Yay! Thank you, Nami, you won't regret it! It'll be fun!" Kairi cried, now bubbling over with excitement.

Namine rolled her eyes, highly doubting that fact, but a small smile crept up on her face anyway.

"Don't forget about the frappuccino," Namine said. Then she looked at Kairi questioningly. "Which one of Sora's cousins is this? Cloud wouldn't ever be caught on a stage, would he?"

"It's his cousin Roxas. He just moved in from Twilight Town not too long ago," Kairi explained. "Their school year had already ended before he moved here, so that's why he didn't show up at school."

"Ah," Namine said, picking up a pencil from the nearest table and twirling in on her fingers. It was a habit that she had picked up a while ago, and nowadays, she did it without even thinking about it.

"Yeah. Sora said he's really shy, but he's really nice, too. And who knows? Maybe he's cute," Kairi said, winking at Namine.

Namine nodded distractedly, continuing to twirl the pencil. Kairi watched her for a moment, then gasped, getting up at light speed and running to her closet.

"Oh, I am _so _picking you out an adorable outfit for tomorrow!" Kairi giggled, sifting through her closet in barely contained excitement. Namine just shook her head, giggling slightly at Kairi's sudden shift in attention. Leave it to Kairi to try to set Namine up with some random boy Namine's never met before.

As much as Kairi could be a pain in the butt, Namine had to love her.

* * *

Seriously, if you've ever seen _Lilo and Stitch_, you'll know what I'm talking about when I say the characters are all drawn up so ROUND. :)

As usual, suggestions/C.C./thoughts/predictions are always appreciated :)


	3. Perfect Fit

Sorry for the wait, guys! I've been really busy/distracted lately. Mounds of homework, heaps of family drama, annoying boys, and all that good stuff :P

But Christmas break started in a couple days! *dances* So I should get the next chapter up much sooner! I'm most likely gonna be updating my other story, And That's When Fate Stepped In, sometime during break, too, so keep an eye on that :)

Hopefully you won't be too disappointed in this chapter. I'm not sure how I feel about it, but the next couple chapters should start getting pretty good :)

*glomps* to **DemyxPlaysMySitar**, **rainbowswirl**, and **musiclover2399** for the reviews! :D

* * *

_Flames…smoke…sirens…screaming…_

Namine gasped and shot up in her makeshift bed of pillows and couch cushions. Breathing heavily, she attempted to banish the nightmare from her mind with little success.

It was the same almost every night. Reliving what had happened that night in horrifying detail. For one night, just once, she wanted to not have to go through it again…

Namine turned her head toward Kairi's bed. Kairi was still fast asleep, arm hanging off the side of the bed, mouth slightly open. Kairi had always been a heavy sleeper.

_You're lucky, Kairi._

Namine shook her head of the thought. No, she couldn't feel jealous of Kairi. She had been so amazing through everything. Plus, Kairi's family was practically Namine's family now, too.

In an attempt to distract herself, she glanced around Kairi's room. The window shades were shut, but Namine could just make out tiny rays of sunshine peeking out. She looked at the clock. 10:30. Well, that was alright. They had been up until almost 4 in the morning. The evidence of that was all over the room. Multiple cans of Diet Dr. Pepper and Sprite littered the various surface spaces, while clothes draped every piece of furniture. Kairi had made Namine try on practically piece of clothing in her closet, but had deemed every outfit "unworthy" of Namine's "gorgeousness".

Namine had rolled her eyes at that comment, causing Kairi to growl at her, "I swear, Nam, you are the most ridiculous person I've ever met." Namine had sighed, but didn't argue, knowing that Kairi wouldn't change her opinion, anyway.

Since the late night fashion show hadn't yielded any results, in Kairi's opinion, they were going to be going shopping before the show later that afternoon.

At that thought, Namine rolled her eyes. Kairi would no doubt attempt to set her up with this Roxas kid. And Namine would politely turn down any suggestion Kairi would make about her and the boy getting together. Boy drama was the least of her concerns at this point in her life, after all…

The sound of Kairi's yawn broke through her thoughts. Namine glanced over to see Kairi stretching. She looked over at Namine and asked sleepily, "Mmm…what time is it?"

"About quarter to eleven," Namine replied, gesturing towards the clock.

Kairi's eyes widened. "What?!" She threw back the covers and rushed over to her closet and began frantically searching through the few clothes that weren't scattered across the room, finally grabbing a pair of cut-offs and a bright pink tank with small black white polka dots. Kairi then ran to the bathroom, calling behind her, "Pick out something, you can use the shower after me!"

Namine sighed, got up, and made her way through the room, ending up with a pair of pale blue shorts and a plain white t-shirt. As she found her clothes, she called back to Kairi, "Why are we in such a hurry? It's not even 11:00 yet."

Kairi's head popped in the door, a wide grin across her face. "Shopping! We gotta find you an adorable outfit for the show tonight, remember?"

Namine rolled her eyes. The show didn't even start until 7:00 that evening.

Leave it to Kairi to need over six hours of shopping time…

* * *

Once Kairi had deemed herself "presentable" in front of her mirror—reddish hair straightened, the smallest signs of make-up on her face—and Namine had showered, gotten dressed, and—after a few minutes of Kairi pleading—blow-dried her hair, the two went downstairs to eat a quick breakfast. Kairi excitedly explained to her mother about the plans for the day while Kairi quietly munched on her strawberry Pop-tart. Then the girls bid Kairi's mom farewell and headed out the door.

Namine and Kairi lived fairly close to the Plaza, a decent-sized shopping center and popular weekend hang-out spot among locals. Kairi chatted about a movie she had went to go see with Sora while Namine quietly listened, taking in the hustle and bustle around her as they made their way through the shoppers. It had been a while since she had been to the Plaza, since she rarely went out in public anymore. She still wasn't comfortable being around so many people…

They passed Gullwings, a popular clothing store run by the parents of three of Namine and Kairi's classmates; Moogles Jewelers, a jewelry shop that specializes in customized necklaces; Castle Oblivion, the 21-and-under nightclub that Kairi has been begging Namine to go with her to (Namine didn't see the point of nightclubs).

Finally, they reached their destination: The Paupu. It was Kairi's absolute favorite store. Bright, colorful clothes were displayed in the display window. Namine had been in there multiple times with Kairi, but had never bothered to buy anything; the clothes were entirely too flashy, in her opinion.

Kairi immediately darted through the racks, grabbing this and that, until she had an armful of clothes that Namine never would have picked out for herself. Then, practically giddy with excitement, Kairi disappeared into a fitting room. Namine took a seat by the three-way mirror and settled in for the incoming hurricane that was Kairi trying on clothes.

* * *

After about an hour and a half of trying on various outfits, Kairi finally decided on a casual white halter dress with pale pink floral swirl designs. After putting it back on the hanger and giving it to a girl working there to keep at the counter until they paid, Kairi turned to Namine with a big grin on her face.

"Yay! Now we can find something for you!" she said, clapping her hands excitedly. She then proceeded through the racks in search of clothes for Namine to try on.

Namine followed her, sighing and not paying much attention to the clothes on the racks she was passing. She figured she was just let Kairi pick out something for her and wear it to the show to make her happy.

Running her hands absentmindedly through the clothes, Namine thought about the show. Kairi would attempt to "beautify" her that night and try to set her up blindly with this Roxas boy. Kairi just didn't seem to understand that Namine wasn't really interested in finding a boy at the moment.

But for some reason, one boy had been on her mind. That mysterious boy with the beautiful blue eyes…

_Ugh! Stop thinking about him! I probably won't ever see him again anyway…_

Namine looked up from the shirt she was pretending to look at, and caught sight of herself in a mirror that was placed in that section of the store. She chuckled sadly.

_And even if I did…why would he show any interest in me?_

She let out another small chuckle, then looked around. Suddenly, something caught her eye.

Namine made her way over to the something a few racks over.

It was simple. A casual sundress, white with the smallest bit of lace at the top. Smiling slightly, she took it off the rack and called over her shoulder to Kairi, "I'll be in the fitting room."

Kairi quickly made her way over to sit in one of the chairs as Namine changed. Then, when Namine emerged, Kairi squealed.

"Oh, Nam, that's absolutely perfect on you!"

Namine smiled shyly, and turned to look at herself in the three-way mirror. It fit as if it was made for her, coming down to just above her knee, hugging her body in a very flattering fashion.

Kairi got up and clapped excitedly, exclaiming, "Nam, I am so buying that for you! It looks completely amazing on you."

As she turned this way and that in the mirror, Namine felt her smile grow a tiniest bit.

* * *

By the time they left The Paupu, shopping bags in tow (Kairi had bought not only her and Namine's dresses, but a new pair of pink Converse, a matching bracelet/earings set, and a pair of pink and white polka dot socks), it was almost 3:30. They made their way to A Piece of Paradise, a small café that served the most delicious smoothies in Radiant Garden. Kairi purchased a strawberry-vanilla smoothie; Namine a pineapple smoothie. They sat in the café and talked for a while. Namine realized that this trip wasn't as bad as she thought.

_It was nice to actually get out of the house for once_.

When they finally left A Piece of Paradise, they were stunned to find out that it was going on 5:00. Kairi immediately declared that it was time to get home.

"After all," Kairi said as they walked swiftly out of the Plaza and back to Kairi's house, "I have to do you up for tonight!"

Namine groaned. This was sure to be painful…

* * *

He sat in his usual quiet spot in the park, strumming his guitar softly. He was about halfway done with a new song. He was still a bit stuck on the ending, though.

He stopped playing for a moment to check the time. It was going on 6:00.

_Well. Guess I should head up now._

Sighing, he gathered up his guitar, his music, and his backpack and got up off of the bench he was sitting at. As he made his way out of the park, he heard his phone go off.

_I don't belong here, we gotta move on, dear_

_Escape from this afterli—_

"Yeah?" he answered with a sigh.

"Dude, where are you? All of the acts were supposed to be here at 6 for sound checks," a familiar voice said through the phone.

"Sorry, lost track of time," the boy replied, exiting the park and making his way towards the Plaza. "I'll be there in less than 5 minutes, man."

"You better be. Or so help me, I will kick you so hard in the face, you'll be permanently disfigured for the rest of your life. Got it memori--?"

_Wow, how touching, Axel._

"Yeah, yeah, I have it memorized," he said exasperatedly, rolling his eyes. He walked up to the central store of the Plaza, which had a brightly lit sign hanging above the entrance. "I'm literally in front of Star Seeker's right now. I can see you through the window."

The boy saw his red-headed friend turn and look out the window. Seeing him, the red-head motioned for him to hurry up inside.

He sighed, snapping his phone shut and stepping into the building. Star Seeker's was the most popular destination in the Plaza. Tables were set up all around the Café, while a stage graced the one wall. The carpet was midnight blue with gold stars scattered across it. Many photographs of past customers and acts were placed on the walls. From the ceiling hung a plethora of star lamps, which would cast a soft glow down on the customers when on.

At the moment, though, there was a huge bustle of people, the sound of feedback, tuning guitars, and yelled instructions filling the air.

Axel immediately jogged over to him, slapping him on the back and leading him over to where the stage was set up.

"Okay, you're gonna be last, right after Seifer's bunch," Axel said, making a face as he glanced over at a group of four teens, the leader seeming to be a decent-sized boy wearing a white jacket and a hat. "You figure out what song you're doing yet?"

He shook his head. Axel facepalmed.

"Roxas, it's one freaking hour before the show! How do you NOT have a song picked out?! I swear, you have got to be the most—"

Roxas felt his phone vibrate. "Don't worry, I'll figure something out," he mumbled to Axel, then proceeded to check the message as Axel continued to rant.

**From: Sora  
**_Hey Rox, what time is the show tonight?_

Roxas rolled his eyes. Leave it to Sora to forget after he had already told him multiple times.

**From: Roxas  
**_7:00. Didn't I already tell you this 1000 times?_

Axel sent Roxas over to sit down at a table to wait his turn for sound check, still grumbling incoherently. Roxas sat down just in time to feel his phone vibrate again.

**From: Sora  
**_Haha my bad. Well, I'm bringing my girlfriend and her friend with me tonight. You finally get to meet Kairi!_

**From: Roxas  
**_Sounds good to me. Who's her friend?_

**From: Sora  
**_Namine. She's really shy, but pretty, too. I'll hook you guys up *nudge nudge*_

**From: Roxas  
**_Ha. Funny._

Roxas sighed, leaning back in his chair. Of course Sora would try to set him up with some random girl. He had taken it upon himself to be Roxas's personal matchmaker.

Roxas thought it was pointless, for that matter. Girls were a bother most of the time. He wasn't too worried about getting a girlfriend. He had his whole life ahead of him for that.

For some odd reason, though, a girl did pop into his head at that moment. A mysterious blonde-eyed beauty with the sorrowful eyes…

_Whoa, Roxas. Get a hold of yourself. _

Shaking his head, chuckling, he drummed his knuckles on the table lightly, watching the other bands prepare for the show.

* * *

Thoughts, anyone? Suggestions?

**Sora**: How about not making me sound like an idiot? *hands on hips*

**Roxas**: Uhhh...sorry, dude. That's impossible.

**Sora**: HEY! *chases Roxas with a random crowbar*

I'll try to get the next chapter up ASAP! Until then, reviews are lovely and very appreciated :)


	4. Show Time

Disclaimer: The usual. Applies to the last chapter, too. But I put it in the first chapter already, so yeah, kinda applies to the whole story, so not ENTIRELY sure why I'm putting it here, too...

Hey, again! I was in "the zone", so I finished this chapter fairly quickly. I actually had a lot of fun write this chapter, and I think it turned out fairly decent, but I'll leave that up to yins to decide for sure :)

Also, on a slightly unrelated note, Roxas's ringtone in the last chapter was "Afterlife" by Avenged Sevenfold. Just clarifying :)

Big thank-you's and huge *glomps* go out to **DemyxPlaysMySitar**, **icyflames09**, and **xMisfit** for reviewing! :)

* * *

Namine and Kairi made their way out of the house later that evening, at approximately 6:30. Kairi looked amazing, as usual, in her new dress, which she had paired up with a pair of plain white wedges. Namine was also wearing her new dress, with a pair of pale blue flats that she had borrowed from Kairi, with a matching bracelet and necklace. Kairi had pronounced her "stunning" when she was through with Namine, while Namine had only laughed at the sight of Kairi dancing around with the hair straightener she had just used on her.

They finally reached the outside of the Star Seeker's Café, where they found a waiting Sora leaning against a nearby pillar, chatting with a boy with long, silver hair. When Sora saw them approaching, he pushed himself off the pillar with a wide grin.

"Hey, Kai! You look amazing, as usual," Sora said brightly, giving Kairi a peck on the lips while she blushed and giggled. Namine almost giggled as well. It was so adorable how Sora could make Kairi—Kairi, her outgoing, loud, and gorgeous friend—blush.

Sora looked over at Namine and smiled at her, as he weaved his hand into Kairi's. "Hey, Namine. Glad you could make it."

Namine gave him a small smile. "Hi, Sora. Hey, Riku," she said, acknowledging the silver-haired boy who was stand slightly off to the side with his hands in his pockets. Riku raised a hand in a wave.

"Hey, Namine. You look nice," he said. "Let me guess, Kairi got to you, huh?"

Namine let out a small chuckle while Sora laughed and Kairi grinned. "Thanks. And yes, unfortunately."

"Hey!" Kairi said defensively, causing Riku and Sora to laugh even more.

Sora gave Kairi a peck on the cheek and said, still laughing, "Come on, let's head inside, show's starting soon."

The group made their way inside to find it fairly crowded. Sora let them through the bustle to a table fairly near the stage, but far enough away from the amps to not be blown away. Namine hugged herself self-conciously as she took in just how many people there were. Kairi sat down next to her, knowing full well what was going through Namine's head, and said, "Sora, Riku, could you guys go up and get drinks for us? Two vanilla frappaccinos, please!"

Sora and Riku shrugged and got up, making their way to the counter. When they were out of ear shot, Kairi turned to Namine and said softly, "You know, we really don't have to stay if you don't want. I'm sure Sora wouldn't mind if me and you left…" She cast an understanding look at Namine.

Namine shook her head. "No, it's ok. Really. I haven't been out in a while, and this will be good for me." She mustered up a small, almost faltering smile.

Kairi rubbed her arm. "If you're sure…just let me know if you wanna leave, mmmkay?" She gave Namine a small hug.

Sora and Riku returned with the drinks just as the lights flickered on and off three times.

"Show time," Riku said, glancing up at the stage, where a red-headed boy Namine knew as Axel strode up on stage and stepped up to the mic.

"And hello to everyone! Ready for some awesome music?" A collective cheer came from the crowd. "Yeah! Ok, let's go over a few ground rules first." A few "boo"s were called out. "Yeah, yeah, I know, I know. But we want a good show here tonight, not a bunch of idiots running around yelling and tearing up the place. Got it memorized?" A few mumbles of consent. Axel rubbed his hands together. "Good. Ok, first off, try to keep the food-slash-garbage throwing to a minimum, no matter how much you think any of the bands suck. Next, let's hold off on the stage-diving and crowd surfing, shall we?"

At this, Axel threw a meaningful glance at a boy in camoflauge pants Namine knew as Hayner. Hayner threw his hands up in defense, crying out, "That was one time!" Laughs.

"One time, my ass," mumbled Riku.

Axel continued, "Whatever. Also, let's try to keep the place as neat as possible. Meaning, let's try not to move the tables and chairs around too much. Got it memorized?"

The crowd murmured in reluctant agreement. Then, Axel clapped his hands and said, "Fantastic! Ok, let's get this show on the road, then! First up is Demyx and the Water Dancers!" Cheers arose from the crowd, as a boy with a mullet and a sitar took the stage, followed by a few other band members dressed in blue. When they were set up, the mullet boy, Demyx stepped up to the mic and somewhat awkwardly announced their song. The drummer counted off, and they jumped into a loud, jumpy tune.

Namine sipped on her frappaccino, listening to the music and taking in her surroundings. Most people in the audience were singing along or cheering, so they must have recognized the tune. Beside her, Kairi was bouncing to the beat in her chair, while Sora cheered and sang along. Riku sat nodding his head to the beat, occassionally joining in in the refrain.

When the first band was done, the audience burst into applause and loud cheers. Axel took the stage again as the first band cleared their stuff off the stage. "Awesome job, Demyx and the WDs! Alright, next up is Y.R.P.!"

There were cheers and wolf-whistles as Yuna, Rikku, and Paine—the girls whose parents ran Gullwings—took the stage. Yuna snapped her fingers and bouncy dance music began to play. The three girls—including an intimidating and quite serious-looking Paine—began a dance routine. This particular dance drew many whistles and cheers from the males in the audience, and a few grumbles and scowls from the females.

Kairi rolled her eyes and sighed in disgust, shooting a glance Sora's way. To Sora's credit, he did not seem to pay much attention to the three girls on stage, instead texting someone on his phone. Riku looked bored, muttering something that Namine thought sounded like, "You call this music?"

The show continued in an entertaining fashion. Most of the bands, (with the exception of a band called Kanye Montana who was "boo"ed off the stage approximately 20 seconds into their performance) went over very well with the crowd. By the time the third to last band was done, almost everyone was standing up and dancing and cheering.

Namine, on the other hand, remained in her chair. She had long since finished her frappaccino, but had no desire to get up and dance. She could see the stage perfectly fine from where she was sitting, and she did not want anyone to see her dance, thank you very much.

Axel took the stage to the sound of loud cheering. "What an awesome show this has been, eh?" Cheers. "I'm impressed that we haven't had any crowd surfing incidents! Let's give a big hand to Hayner, ladies and gentlemen!"

Laughter and cheers swelled up from the crowd, while a very red Hayner was given pats on the back, mouthing some forms of profanity at Axel, who ignored it.

"Ok, we're down to two more bands, folks. This next one is Struggle." Axel finished, making a slight face before getting off the stage as a group of teens made their way on. Namine recognized a short boy with a hat named Vivi, a boy with an annoying speech pattern whose name she did not know, a girl with short blueish hair who didn't say much, and Seifer. Seifer was known around the town as being arrogant, stuck-up, and a pig. Namine shuddered.

Struggle was very short lived. They played a horrific thrash metal song, with yelling and rasping and no coherent words or redeeming musical quality. They were "boo"ed off about 5 seconds quicker than Kanye Montana.

Axel walked back up on stage, snickering, seeming amused by the band's failure. He reached the mic and aimed a "goodbye" wave tauntingly at the retreating members of Struggle. Then he spoke into the mic.

"Ok. Thank God that's over with." Cheers of agreement. "Alright then, we've got our last performer coming up. He just moved here not too long ago from Twilight Town, and is an extremely talented musician and a great friend of mine. Let's hear it for Roxas!"

Sora cheered extra loud, while Kairi leaned down and squealed to Namine, "Ooooh, is he cute or what?! _Dang_...!"

Namine, who had been doodling on a napkin as an attempt to distract herself from the crowd and Struggle's terrible performance, rolled her eyes and glanced up at the stage.

_Oh my gosh…_

There, sitting up on stage, guitar on his lap, was _the_ _boy_.

* * *

Kanye Montana is a combination of (obviously) Kanye West and Hannah Montana.  
I hate both of them with a passion :) :P

**Demyx**: But you don't hate MY band, right?? *puppy dog eyes*

**Me**: No, your band was great!

**Demyx**: Yes! *runs to grab sitar* Dance, water, dance!

**Me**: *chuckle*

Reviews, as usual, are wildly appreciated! Suggestions, comments, likes/dislikes, and constructive criticism are showered with imaginary Christmas cookies :)


	5. This Is Who I Really Am

Disclaimer: Don't own KH.

Sorry, this chapter is kinda short...but hopefully still effective! *crosses fingers*

THANK YOU **rainbowswirl**, **xMisfit**, **musiclover2399**, and **DemyxPlaysMySitar** for the reviews! :D

* * *

Namine could not tear her eyes away from the boy on stage, who was now in the process of lowering the mic to his level. When he seemed content with the positioning, he cleared his throat and spoke into the mic.

"Hey, everyone," he greeted, giving a small wave. There were some return greetings, along with some wolf whistles and a shout of "Take it off!" that sounded like it came from a guy. The boy—Roxas—chuckled. "Uh, thanks. So, here's a softer version of a song some of you might have heard before. Hope you like it."

Namine stared in rapt attention as Roxas closed his eyes and began to play.

_What if I wanted to break  
__Laugh it all off in your face  
__What would you do?_

_What if I fell to the floor  
__Couldn't take this anymore  
__What would you do?_

Namine felt as if she was in a trance, just as she felt the day before when she had stared into his eyes under the willow tree. His eyes were still closed, and he seemed completely sure of where his hands were, never looking down at his guitar. She watched his hands and fingers move almost gracefully across the frets, never stumbling or hesitating.

But the most entrancing part was his voice. It was soft, yet it seemed to carry all across the room. There was an emotion seeping into his voice, as if he were singing exactly what he was feeling. It was beautiful.

_Come break me down  
__Bury me, bury me  
__I am finished with you…_

* * *

Roxas strummed his guitar, eyes closed, feeling the music. He knew this song forwards, backwards, in his sleep. It was part of the reason why he decided on this song before he had went on stage. He knew he didn't need to rehearse it.

But they was a small part of him that played it because he needed to…let it out. He needed to let his emotions out somehow, and through his performance seemed as good a time as any. Anyone who heard the emotion in his voice would contribute it to the performance. No one ever listened deep enough to guess that this was real; this was what he was feeling.

_What if I wanted to fight  
__Beg for the rest of my life  
__What would you do?_

_You say you wanted more  
__What are you waiting for?  
__I'm not running from you_

Music. His life. His world. His escape.

_Come break me down  
__Bury me, bury me  
__I am finished with you_

_Look in my eyes  
__You're killing me, killing me  
__All I wanted was you…_

His reason for still existing.

* * *

Namine could feel it. She could _feel_ the emotion of Roxas's voice. She suddenly _knew _there was something there; something burning inside of Roxas. Something that _haunted_ him.

_I tried to be someone else  
But nothing seemed to change  
I know now  
This is who I really am inside  
Finally found myself_  
_Fighting for a chance  
__I know now  
__This is who I really am_

She suddenly understood. Music must be his outlet. His way of showing emotion. It was the same with her and her drawings.

She had not cried since her parents had gone. She was broken, but she couldn't let the tears fall. She couldn't explain it. There was just something, _something_, holding her back.

But when she drew, the emotions poured out. Not through tears, but through her pencil.

It was how she stayed sane.

She didn't know the boy at all—had barely met him the day before—but something indescribable was telling her that this was someone who _knew_.

Someone who understood.

_Come break me down  
__Bury me, bury me  
__I am finished with you…_

* * *

Roxas hit the last chord, and the song ended. He heard a thunderous applause. Opening his eyes, he looked over the crowd. Everyone was cheering and clapping loudly. He felt a small smile tug at his lips. It made him genuinely happy that people enjoyed his music.

He stood up and took a bow. He looked over to see his cousin cheering loudly, a pretty red-headed girl also cheering and clapping next to him.

_Huh. Must be Kairi. Nice one, Sora._

At that point, Axel jogged on stage to stand by Roxas, grinning wildly. He said something into the mic that got the crowd even more rowdy.

But Roxas wasn't paying attention anymore.

He had found someone who wasn't clapping or cheering.

Someone who was sitting down in her chair.

Someone who was looking up right at him.

Someone he had met the day before.

_It's that girl…_

Someone who knew exactly what he was feeling.

* * *

So? What do ya think? Thoughts, anyone?  
Hopefully you aren't too disappointed :P

The song is the acoustic version of "The Kill" by 30 Seconds to Mars. If you haven't heard that version before, give it a listen. It's fantastic :D

So I would love to hear what you think of this chapter! Reviews are amazing and much appreciated :]


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